Volleyball Outside Hitter Drills

They could be called the Jack-of-all-trades when it comes to volleyball positions. The outside hitter position, also known as a wing spiker, plays on the front and back row, on the left side of the court. As a result, drills for outside hitters generally focus on a variety of skill sets, defensive and offensive. Quick transitions are important.

  1. Transitioning

    • The transitioning drill teaches players to switch between offense and defense. The hitter starts at the net and must quickly transition to defense to dig a ball that a coach has hit. The setter then sets while the outside hitter transitions to offense to spike the ball. A coach then tosses a ball back over the net to mimic a blocked spike and the outside hitter must transition back to defense to hit the ball to the setter.

    Tip Drill

    • The tip drill teaches outside hitters to adjust to the defense. It starts with the outside hitter on one side of the court and a defender on the opposite side. The ball is tossed to the outside hitter and the defender either comes close to the net or backs off. The outside hitter must recognize where the defender is and make the appropriate tip. This would be short if the defender is far from the net and deep if the defender is close to the net.

    Corner Hitting

    • Accuracy is important for outside hitters. Before beginning the corner hitting drill, a coach should mark off squares, either with tape or chairs, in the corners of the opposing side. Hitters are required to hit or tip a tossed ball into any one of the four squares. This can be turned into a game, with a point being awarded each time an outside hitter puts the ball in a square.

    Proper Hitting

    • Because outside hitters play on both the front and back rows, they must be able react quickly and hit accurately from different spots on the court. For the proper hitting drill, players start near the baseline. The coach tosses a ball from the net and the player must approach and hit the ball onto the opposing side, keeping the ball inbounds. After a few reps, players can move in and start from closer to the net.